Coin operated equipment is well known and of several different varieties. Coin operated telephones, laundry washers and dryers, soda pop vending machines, vending machines in which articles of various prices are dispensed, parking meters, and newspaper vending machines, for example. Each of these types of coin operated machines normally includes a coin mechanism for receiving coins and, in some instances, for totalling the deposited coins. In most instances, vending of the product or enabling use of the device requires that a correct combination of coins of a given value be deposited. Typically the coins are nickels, dimes, quarters, half dollars and dollar coins. Some machines have a paper dollar reader and some even provide change if the amount deposited is greater than the price for the product.
In some instances, coin operated machines are electrically powered by a standard 110 volt power source, e.g., soda pop vending machines which also require refrigeration cooling, laundry washing and drying machines, and convenience vending machines for candy and other miscellaneous items. Other types of vending machines typically are not externally electrically powered and rely on mechanical systems for receiving the coins and, if the proper combination of the required coins are deposited, to dispense or permit access to the article. These latter machines are, for example, newspaper vending machines which are normally placed outdoors and which are exposed to extremes of weather and temperature. Typical such machines are those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,884,330; 4,062,435; 4,049,106; 4,576,271; 4,067,477; 4,183,426; 4,243,134; 4,465,207; 4,227,604; 4,718,532; 4,844,567; assigned to the same assignee and whose disclosures are incorporated herein by reference.
Another difference in coin operated equipment relates to whether the purchaser automatically receives the goods or services automatically upon deposit of the correct purchase amount as contrasted to those instances in which the coin operated dispenser enables access to the product by the purchaser, i.e. opening a door to obtain access to the product. In either instance, however, it is advantageous to provide a coin operated mechanism which permits a variety of coin combinations to be used, rather than a limited number of types of coins, e.g., only quarters, or only dimes and quarters. In these and other types of coin operated equipment, the amounts deposited in the machine are normally collected from time to time. In the case of parking meters and telephone equipment, the coin box may be removed and an empty coin box inserted. This coin box replacement is intended to reduce losses as a result of theft by the collector. Yet, other types of coin operated dispensers are such that the collector merely takes or empties the coins from the machine "bank", without counting them. In this case, the possibility of losses due to thefts is a problem.
In the case of newspaper vending machines or machines which require periodic replacement of the dispensed product, there is both periodic collection of money from the "bank" and re-supply of the machine. In either case, there are advantages to being able to (1) provide a versatile mechanism which permits use of various coin combinations, (2) track the number of dispensable items loaded, (3) count the total value of coins accepted by the machine, (4) count the number of times the unit was used by the deposit of the proper purchase price and thus the number of units sold or provided, (5) record the period of usage, (6) change prices as may be needed, and (7) provide different alternate prices for the product, i.e., daily or Sunday prices as is the case in newspaper vending equipment, (8) provide equipment which is reliably battery operated for relatively long periods in an outdoor environment, (9) provide equipment which is secure in the sense that only those with proper access codes can access the equipment, (10) provide information which may be used to generate meaningful data related to the volume of sales made by the equipment, and the like, for management control purposes.
There are a number of prior art systems which are supposedly electronic coin mechanism and data systems. One such system is that of U.S. Pat. No. 4,845,484, issued on Jul. 4, 1989, assigned to Bellatrix Systems, Inc. and which purports to provide some of the features previously described. However, the Bellatrix system is limited to coins of specified denominations, such as nickels, dimes and quarters. The coin mechanism thus lacks versatility to accommodate the various American coinage in use. Further, the coin mechanism is not self-clearing and may be jammed by foreign objects. The electronic mechanism is powered by lithium thionyl chloride batteries which are classified by the Department of Transportation as hazardous materials. Alkaline batteries are unable to perform in hot/cold climates. The operating temperature range is between 0 degrees and 140 degrees F. Service life of the alkaline batteries is about 1.5 years. If the battery looses power or is replaced in the field, all the stored data is lost. Changes in price are controlled by an external wand and are limited to minimum increments of 5 cents. Further, this mechanism records the time the first article is sold and sales in each of 12 programmable time slots.
Other systems described in U.S. patents are: U.S. Pat. No. 4,216,461 issued to Werth et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,306,219 issued to Main et al and U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,442 issued to Werth et al. However, the systems of these patents are dispensing systems other than newsracks, the latter presenting unique problems, not the least of which is the necessity to use battery power and long service life over a wide variety of climate conditions. Moreover, in the case of newsracks, the number of papers dispensed is not normally counted as such since the nature of the usual rack is such than upon deposit of the proper amount, the rack door is permitted to be opened and the purchaser may take one or more copies of the paper. The exception is those racks which permit only a single copy to be taken. Normally, the count of papers sold is the difference between the number loaded into the machine and the number retrieved.
Another problem with the systems of the prior art described is that only summary data may be extracted from the electronics. This not only complicates the machine electronics but significantly limits the useful information which may be extracted. It is much more preferable for management control and reporting to extract all or a defined amount of the raw data stored in the machine electronics and to use a separate computer to manipulate the data into a wide variety of useable formats. Additionally, the systems described use a real time clock which takes more electrical power and adds to circuit complexity than the system of the present invention. This also requires that the clock be reset for time changes and for different time zones.
Regardless of the type of coin operated system, the basic requirement is that the value of a deposited coin be promptly and accurately recognized. Once this is accomplished, a variety of options are available. For example, coins of a detected value may be separately stored in well known coin storage systems i.e., pennies, nickles, dimes, quarters dollars. From such segmented storage systems, change may be provided or return of deposited coinage may be enabled. Paper currency readers may be used to provide change or the difference between the price and the amount deposited.
In large measure the problem is that paper currency units which provide change have to be loaded with the change to be dispensed. Such units provide a security problem in which both the deposited currency and the stored coinage are subject to theft by break in. Accordingly, the use of such systems has been limited to well populated areas and high traffic areas, e.g., hotels, airports and the like. Placing such equipment in less populated and low traffic areas, such as newspaper vending equipment, seems to invite theft by breaking into the equipment usually located in a remote area or an area which at times is effectively remote. The other objection is the "float", i.e., the need to tie up money by having it in the machine to dispense change. This may be a major concern for large vending machine operators with a larger number of vending machines.
One solution to this problem is to store the deposited coinage and use that source of deposited coinage to provide change, thus avoiding the need initially to load the machine with change and minimizing the effect of the float. That, however, requires that the value of deposited coinage be identified accurately and stored in conventional change or coin return bins. The result is that coin vending machines are usually relatively high priced for the item dispensed. This forces the machine vendors to price their products in terms of the increment of change provided. In some cases machines will accept nickles, dime and quarters and provide change in those denominations. However, those machines are complex and require external 110 volt operation and are generally located only in well lighted and well travelled or populated areas.
It is thus apparent that a need exists for a reliable electronic coin operated mechanism capable of accepting a wide variety of coin combinations currently in circulation and which may be adapted to accept foreign coins for equipment destined for use in foreign countries.
It is also apparent that a need exists for a reliable electronic coin mechanism which may be installed in currently existing equipment or new equipment and which may be battery operated and which is capable of reliable and accurate operation over a relatively long period of time and over a wide variation in ambient temperatures, e.g., -40 degrees to 185 degrees F.
Also apparent is the need for a unique and reliable coin mechanism, electronically operated and which is capable of electronically recognizing coin values of a variety of different coins, and which prevents tampering and which provides false coin detection, e.g., slug detection for the particular coin system.
Especially advantageous is the provision of a coin operated vending device which is battery operated, which provides a reliable coin mechanism for various denominations of coins, which totals the deposited coins to determine whether at least the purchase price has been deposited and which is capable of operating over a wide variety of environmental conditions, i.e., extremes of heat and cold and in damp freezing and dry hot conditions.
It is also apparent that a need exists for a reliable and accurate coin recognizing device which effectively can determine the value of a coin, or reject the same, thus allowing totalizing of coins according to value.
Another advantageous coin operated dispensing system is one which provides security and security levels through controlled passwords, accumulates and provides data related to equipment location, amount of articles loaded, amount of articles sold, amount of articles returned, amount of money deposited, amount of money collected, time of deposit of money, time of collection, identity of collector, time of servicing, test of battery condition, thereby enabling production of various management reports and reports related to the service of the equipment.